THESIS
2021
1 online resource (xi, 134 pages) : illustrations (some color)
Abstract
How do consumers perceive a product if it is recommended by someone
comparatively younger or older than them? Does receiving a product recommendation from
the younger or older generation lead consumers to draw different inferences about the
product? If so, why is there such a difference in inference based on the recommender’s age
compared to the word of mouth (WOM) recipient? My dissertation explores the role of age in
product-related WOM that is ubiquitous in today’s world.
I find that WOM recipient’s perception of a recommended product is affected by the
recommender’s age. Specifically, consumers perceive a product to be more utilitarian when
that product is recommended by someone who is comparatively much older than them. In
contrast when the recommender is young, the product is perc...[
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How do consumers perceive a product if it is recommended by someone
comparatively younger or older than them? Does receiving a product recommendation from
the younger or older generation lead consumers to draw different inferences about the
product? If so, why is there such a difference in inference based on the recommender’s age
compared to the word of mouth (WOM) recipient? My dissertation explores the role of age in
product-related WOM that is ubiquitous in today’s world.
I find that WOM recipient’s perception of a recommended product is affected by the
recommender’s age. Specifically, consumers perceive a product to be more utilitarian when
that product is recommended by someone who is comparatively much older than them. In
contrast when the recommender is young, the product is perceived to be more hedonic. This
difference is driven by the lay belief that older people are comparatively more reason-oriented
whereas younger people are feelings-driven. Experimental studies and linguistic analysis of a
customer-review dataset are used to provide support for this conceptualization of
Intergenerational WOM and its impact on product perception. Implications for product
positioning, consumer WOM and stereotyping are also discussed.
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